47694


Is there a Japanese equivalent to English's 'Can I go to the bathroom' vs.
'May I go to the bathroom'? You know, a disagreement over whether to use a
phrase that feels correct(and I'd argue is correct) vs. a phrase that is more,
you know, "Politically Correct" in a way.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-24T05:06:43.020
47693
2017-05-25T00:13:53.263
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phrase-requests
Is there a Japanese equivalent to English's "'Can I go to the bathroom' vs. 'May I go to the bathroom'"?


There is an expression that has annoyed me for these past several years.

That is an expression 「 **これでよろしかったでしょうか** 」 which means " _Was this all right
(for you)?_ " and is often said to me as a customer by a salesclerk in a store
or a shop at a checkout counter.  
It was the time of the payment in a supermarket several years ago that I heard
it for the first time. Because I never talked with the salesclerk before then
in the supermarket, I felt a sense of incongruity when I was asked by the
phrase as 「これでよろしかったですか？」 or "Was this all right?" in a past tense.
「これでよろしいですか？」 or "Is this all right?" was the phrase I expected instead.

In the case when you should logically use the present tense in English, I know
well that the past tense like "I would ..." is usually used to soften a
phrase, but I didn't think we used Japanese in that way.

After the first experience, it seems that I would hear the expression more and
more often. I continue feeling the similar sense of incongruity up to the
present, but the expression seems to be becoming recognized to soften the
phrase in the same way as English.

Tirous, was this all right?

* * *

Probably apart from the questioner's topic I found some examples of seemingly
or logically contradictory Japanese expressions,
[here](http://ch.nicovideo.jp/egweb/blomaga/ar89387),
[here](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%83%85%E3%81%91%E3%81%AF%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E7%82%BA%E3%81%AA%E3%82%89%E3%81%9A)
and [here](https://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/8233035.html), which are like:

  * 反則｛はんそく｝勝｛が｝ち 【反則｛はんそく｝負｛ま｝けの対戦者｛たいせんしゃ｝？】 
  * 立派｛りっぱ｝な犯罪｛はんざい｝ 【どんな犯罪{はんざい}ですか？】 
  * 体｛からだ｝をお厭{いと}いください 【「厭｛いと｝う」は本来｛ほんらい｝、嫌{きら}う、いやがるの意味｛いみ｝】 
  * 感謝｛かんしゃ｝の言葉｛ことば｝もありません 【大変｛たいへん｝感謝｛かんしゃ｝しているときに使｛つか｝う】 
  * いい加減｛かげん｝ 【間違｛まちが｝って「中途｛ちゅうと｝半端｛はんぱ｝」「無責任｛むせきにん｝」「手抜｛てぬ｝き」の意味｛いみ｝で使｛つか｝われている】 
  * 適当｛てきとう｝ 【本来｛ほんらい｝「適切｛てきせつ｝」の意味｛いみ｝だが、「いい加減｛かげん｝」の誤用｛ごよう｝と同｛おな｝じ類｛たぐい｝の誤用｛ごよう｝】 
  * ウソをつけ！ 【「ウソをつくな！」 _Don't tell me a lie!_ の意味｛いみ｝で使｛つか｝われている】 
  * 生｛い｝きている化石｛かせき｝ 【化石｛かせき｝は生｛い｝きていない】 
  * カラーワイシャツ 【colored white shirt】 
  * ピンクの白衣｛はくい｝ 【ピンク色｛いろ｝の看護婦｛かんごふ｝さんの制服｛せいふく｝】 
  * 情｛なさ｝けは人｛ひと｝の為｛ため｝ならず 【" _Kindness is never lost_ " is misinterpreted as " _Kindness never do others good_ ".】 
  * もっとも好｛す｝きなことの１つ 【「最{もっと}も」は最初{さいしょ}から１つしかない】 
  * 炎天下｛えんてんか｝の下｛もと｝ 【「下｛した｝の下｛した｝」はどこ？】 
  * 全然｛ぜんぜん｝大丈夫｛だいじょうぶ｝ 【「全然｛ぜんぜん｝駄目｛だめ｝」なら正｛ただ｝しい使｛つか｝い方｛かた｝】 
  * 後｛あと｝で後悔{こうかい}する 【後悔｛こうかい｝は前｛まえ｝にはできない】 
  * 元旦{がんたん}の朝｛あさ｝ 【正｛ただ｝しくは元日{がんじつ}の朝｛あさ｝。「元旦｛がんたん｝」は「元日｛がんじつ｝の朝｛あさ｝」のこと。】 


CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-24T05:46:07.830
47694
2017-05-24T13:08:35.793
2017-05-24T13:08:35.793
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answer


A bit of an aside, this happens often when using 尊敬語, albeit in reverse --
using でございます on a phrase in 丁寧語 form structure/vocabulary doesn't always make
the phrase more polite, it might actually make it less polite.

Likewise with mixing between 丁寧語 and 尊敬語: Here, the preference is to stick
with what you know fully, and stick to one mode of speech. Changing the level
of politeness mid conversation might leave a sour taste (for example,
switching mid conversation from 丁寧語 to 尊敬語 might make the other person feel
mocked, while the inverse might make the other person feel like you've lost a
level of respect, which is equally degrading). Of course, the exception is at
the request of the other person.


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2017-05-25T00:13:53.263
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2017-05-25T00:13:53.263
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